Throughout history millions of people have been scorned, accused, arrested, tortured, put to trial, and persecuted as witches. One would think that by the time the United States was colonized, these injustices on humanity would have come to an end, but that was not so. In 1692 a major tragedy occurred in America, the Salem witch trials. It all began, when a group of girls accused others, generally older women, of consorting with the devil (Nelson 42). The witchcraft hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts resulted from the strict Puritan code which aroused the girls’ interest in superst

Arthur Miller. Chelsea House Publishers. 1987, New York.

Critical Views: Arthur Miller. Chelsea House Publishers. 1987, New York.

McCarthy would not be the first to consider this issue, Pat McCarran and Richard Nixon had already made names for themselves by accusing Communists. On February 9, at an address, McCarthy claimed he had a list of 205 members of the Communist party who were also members of a spy ring and shaping the policy of the State Department. Many people were stunned by this speech and became interested in this topic. After the speech, McCarthy ruled as “Washington’s number-one Communist hunter” (196), though in his entire career he was never to catch a single one. McCarthy was named the committee chairman of the House Committee of Un-American Activities (HUAC). Because the Senator had no positive agenda, he performed as an “attack dog”, which Republicans used as a useful tool to bring down opponents. After a failed trial against the Army, the Senate voted 67 to 22 to “condemn” McCarthy. His career was mostly over after the Army trial and he lost the committee chairmanship in 1954. He suffered from alcohol liver damage, and died three years later, just 48 years old (196). The McCarthy era came to be known as a troubled time in our history.

Puritans beliefs were rooted in contrasts. They believed that if there was something good there must be something bad to contradict it. For instance, since there was a God, there must be a Devil (43). Since there is good, there must be evil, and since there are saints, chosen to do God’s work on earth, there must be witches, who are instruments of the Devil.

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